New California Bills Will Help Counter Elder Abuse

By The Evans Law Firm of The Evans Law Firm posted in annuities fraud on Friday, October 12, 2012.

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER

Two new bills were just signed into action by California Governer Brown that will help protect seniors against elder abuse. AB 1700 protects property co-owners from exorbitant taxes after one owner dies, giving co-tenants and co-owners the same rights as married couples. AB 2149 bans “gag orders” in elder abuse cases, including senior and dependent adult settlement cases.This is significant

The bill banning gag orders is a huge step forward in bringing to light perpetrators of elder abuse and preventing further abuses. A gag order restricts certain information from being public. Previously, victims of elder abuse would sign settlement agreements containing these gag orders that prevented them from speaking to other individuals, media, or governmental agencies about the case or their abuse. This means that perpetrators of elder abuse would remain unknown and hidden after the case has been settled. Not so anymore with this new bill.

In the words of assembly member Betsy Butler who proposed this bill, “silence can be a killer” for those at risk of elder abuse. With the elimination of gag orders in elder abuse settlements, victims of elder abuse and victims’ families will be able to go public about the details of their abusers and abuses. This could be particularly important in financial elder abuse cases dealing with annuities fraud, as now elders will be able to know what companies have been accused of elder abuse in the past.

The Evans Law Firm litigates on behalf of victims of physical and financial elder abuse in California. If you or a loved one has been the victim of annuities fraud or other physical or elder abuse, contact The Evans Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation at 415-441-8669 or email info@evanslaw.com .